Perfectly Imperfect

You're too negative. You focus on the one thing you did wrong and forget that you spoke to your father's associates, more than you have before. That's proof that I'm not wasting my time.

I laid in bed, staring up at Spencer's text for what seemed like the millionth time today. Last night, after I rushed out of the dinner party, I called for a cab and went straight back to my apartment to hide under my covers. There was no way I could face my parents after what Mirimi had told me and I didn't want to risk running into the girl herself at school.

I couldn't believe it to say the least; it had seemed like my parents had known the Jacko's for years and I was beginning to think that Mirimi coming up to me that day in the coffee shop wasn't just by random chance... it couldn't have been given the fact that she knew about the deal our parents had made long before I did.

Rolling over, I locked my phone, laying it on the pillow next to me before sighing. It was true, I had accomplished the lesson that Spencer had taught me, but at the same time, I had walked out all because of something that I had been told. Despite what the older male said, I couldn't help but focus on my error.

As soon as I shut my eyes, deciding that a nap would probably be best for my mental state, my phone rang out. I groaned loudly, reaching for the device before accepting the call and holding it up to my ear, muttering, “Frost Hillary speaking.”

“Frost, honey, do you mind coming over? Your father and I want to talk to you about something important and we're worried about you after last night...” My mother's voice rang through the line and I chewed at my lip.

I didn't want to see them, but I didn't want her to think that I was holding a grudge against them.

“I'll come to see you on the condition that we talk about last night. Don't think that I hate you, but I am upset and I want answers. I deserve an explanation from you and Father,” I said, my tone agitated.

I heard her sigh, silence subduing the two of us before she whispered, “We'll be sure to give you one. Take your time heading over and be careful; your father and I will be here all day.”

The two of us said our goodbyes and I hung up the phone, staring up at the blank ceiling before opening up Spencer's text once again, typing out a quick response:

I may be too negative, but I've still got a long way to go when it comes to meeting the world's standards.

---

Before I could even knock on the door to my childhood home, my mother was greeting me, a worried expression holding her features. She glanced over my outfit for a moment and I noticed the grimace in her eyes as she saw me standing there in a pair of ragged jeans and an oversized hoodie.

Moving away quickly, she allowed me to enter the house and I glanced around the entryway, my eyes finding the elaborate staircase that led up to the second floor. Slowly, I made my way towards the sitting area and I saw a glass of wine sitting on the coffee table as my father glanced up at me, giving me a small smile before he said, “Good evening, son.”

My mother followed me into the room a moment later, wringing her hands together before she gestured for me to take a seat across from them, grabbing her wineglass. She took a timid drink of the dark liquid before I leaned back in my chair, knowing that I was driving her insane with my posture, outfit, and the way I was acting in general.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” I asked, my eyes glancing over at the servant who brought in a glass of water before offering it to me. I thanked her softly, my attention turning back to my parents before I caught the look in their eyes.

Mother glanced away quickly before Father cleared his throat, saying, “Mr. Jacko has been a close business partner to me for years now, Frost, and with Mirimi being his only child, he wants only the best for her. She's the sole heir to the Jacko industry and he worries that...” He paused, swallowing.

“Worries that what?” I asked, my voice carrying an annoyed tone as my mother flinched. The two of them could tell that I was angry and the more I had thought about the situation on the way here, the more it made my skin crawl. How could they go and do something like this without my permission?

“Well... he's mentioned that she hasn't shown much interest in getting married and having a family someday; Mr. Jacko doesn't want his business to be passed down to someone who isn't related to him. Neither of us are getting any younger as well, and we were talking about the two of you before he struck up a deal with me.”

“You struck up a deal with him about me? I'm not one of those samples that you can simply hand out, Father. Do tell me, what are you getting in return for this arrangement that you have with Mr. Jacko?” I snapped.

My father seemed at a loss for words as he looked away and my mother took another, more thoughtful, drink of her wine. She looked as if she wanted to leave the room as I stared daggers at the two of them. I felt betrayed and just as I was about to open my mouth again, my father said softly, “If the arrangement was made, the Jacko industry would make our products at a cheaper price than what we were paying before. It would cause us to make a higher profit in the longer run, but--”

“Tell him the deal is off,” I said, stopping him in his tracks.

“W-What? Frost, you can't just do something like that. We've been talking about this for years,” he stuttered as I felt my anger only growing.

“I refuse to marry Mirimi,” I shouted, my temper flaring, “I don't care what kind of deal you made with him, but it's my choice who I fall in love with and I'm tired of you two trying to control my life. First you won't allow me to do what I love and now this? I'm fed up with it!”

I stood up clenching my hands into fists and preparing to leave as he stared up at me, trying to get me to calm down before Mother whispered, “Thomas, that's enough. He doesn't want to and there's nothing that we can do about it anymore... If he doesn't want to then...” Tears were forming in her eyes and I stared at her, eyebrows furrowing.

“There's something else you needed to tell me... isn't there?” I asked, pausing between my words as she glanced up at me, wiping them away with the back of her hand before shaking her head.

I could tell that the two of them were lying by their grim expressions before my father walked out of the room, coming back with an envelope a moment later, hands shaking. His brown eyes bore into me and he looked uncomfortable as if the paper was burning him before slowly, he held it out to me to take. I noticed my parents' address written in fine script on the front, but there was no return address.

My mother reached out for it as if she didn't want me to see it before my father stopped her and said, “He deserves to know. As you said, if he doesn't want to do it, then there's nothing we can do anymore; he'll just have to face the consequences.”

My blood ran cold as I glanced between the two of them, pulling the letter out of the envelope and unfolded it, my skin crawling. There was something ominous about this letter and I didn't like it. My father sat down beside my mother, holding her hand tightly and I took a deep breath before reading the words.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hillary,

We are aware of your son's behavior, and as you have been told before, it will not be tolerated. Your son, Frost, is at the age where he should know how to act in our society. This is your first warning on the matter and if it continues to grow increasingly worse, we will have no choice, but to come and give you at “friendly” visit at your estate.

If we have to continue giving you these warnings, we will have no other choice, but to send him to our institution to be taken care of.

We strive to achieve perfection in this day and age and will not accept anything less than that.

Again, you have been warned.

The letter had no signature and as I glanced up from it, my heart was racing in my chest. What did it mean my behavior wasn't to society's standards? What did it mean that they would have no choice, but to send me away?

I dropped the letter on the coffee table, my eyes wide as I hugged myself tightly, fear slowly taking over. The two of them stared up at me before my mother tried to say softly, “This is why we have been trying to--”

“Shut up!” I shouted, staring at her blue-green eyes before I saw her grip tighten on my father's hand as I glared at them and snarled, “How could you have kept this from me also? Is this why you hired Spencer to tutor me? Is this why you've been trying so hard to get me to take over the company when all I want to do is paint and make a life out of my art?”

Father swallowed, acting as if he wanted to respond, but he simply shook his hand and I glanced between the two of them, angry and terrified tears running down my cheeks before I rushed out of the room, heading out of the house without another word.

My parents, of all people, had betrayed me.

---

With each step I took, I glanced over my shoulder. I don't know how long I had been outside, walking, but it felt like forever. The sun had long set as I wandered around in the darkness, my only friends being the occasional car rushing by and the dim streetlights. My hands were shoved deep in my pockets and my mind was running around in a million directions as it felt like I was struggling to breathe.

I wandered by a set of large houses, not exactly knowing where I was at when thunder began to rumble in the distance. I had forgotten that it was supposed to rain, even though I had listened to the forecast this morning; I had even made plans to just sit in my art studio and paint like I always did when the weather turned bad.

Instead, I was walking around, lost, and trying to figure out what my real purpose was in life.

After all this time, I had been my parents' pet because of some unknown threat that was looming over us. They thought that trying to “perfect” me was the only way to keep us safe, but because of it, I had rebelled; I didn't want to be under their thumb and I shivered at the thought of it.

As another car raced down the street as I felt little droplets of rain run down my cheeks before it turned into a sudden downpour without warning. The rain quickly soaked through my clothes and I couldn't help but shiver as I glanced around to find some form of shelter. With winter coming soon, the temperature had dropped severely at night and I should have known better than to force myself to face the elements all because I was upset.

I glanced over at the house that I was walking past, my eyes wandering over the large yard before I recognized who it belonged to. I hated having to bother them this late at night, but here I was, standing in the rain and running a high risk of catching a cold that would probably give me hell for a couple of weeks.

My feet carried me towards the porch before knocking on the door lightly, hearing voices inside. I listened to the click of the lock before the door opened, a man dressed in casual clothes, blue eyes staring at me in confusion.

“Frost?” Spencer asked, staring down at me and I smiled awkwardly.

“H-Hi.”